Tearoom 35: Sun, sea and sand...

[beanandspud]

This breathtakingly beautiful island has unspoilt powdery white sand beaches, crystalline turquoise waters that wash over pristine coral reefs, and verdant green rainforest.

Scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking and sailing trips are available and you can discover the island's charms on foot (with or without Mellors the guide) by mountain bike or private island buggy.

For those in need of pampering the spa offers a selection of luxurious treatments to soothe and heal both body and soul.

For dining, enjoy a freshly prepared meal at the tearoom, a picnic on the beach, or a delicious dinner in the oceanfront restaurant with its stunning sea views. There is , and good company, everybody is welcome.

After Monday and tuesday when I spent alll day outside, today I was working, so spent nearly all day inside.. ho hum. will get some gardening done tomorrow I hope.

Boys PE kit seems to have got covered in someone elses exploding sunscreen gloop. , MORE washing.

We spent the morning making a rocket out of large boxes and the afternoon playing under the trees (bubbles, football, chase/tag and bowling). I love this weather!

That sounds like a lovely day scout. Did you paint the rocket?

Paint was, indeed, part of the day! Nicely covered the rocket and us. SmallBoy chose the colors he's a very patriotic boy.

Tomorrow is swimming. Might stop at the playground on the way home and do some more painting crafts outside when we get back (not as large and could easily be done at the kitchen table but the weather is too nice to spend all day inside).

My parents stuck lining paper up on the wall of the garage so I could paint outside expansively at that age Scout.

MC has made a den in the garden and is hanging (well crouching) out there some of the time... at least its fairly dry there!

If it's still warm/sunny tomorrow in the morning we're going to paint the (outside) of the house with water. We had swimming this morning and since MrScout worked from home until about 1:30 we went for lunch at the café in town. SmallBoy and I have just come in from painting (making red, white and blue fireworks on paper) and playing under the trees (bubbles, bowling, general running around being silly). Now we're in having a drink, snack and watching Get Well Soon.

Right, which neighbor is out back smoking (and it's blowing into my house)?! But more importantly, which neighbor is barbequing and didn't invite me?!?!?!

At Geek Club in YOUT with the boys. Like Father,like Son. They are so alike it's scary!

Me... I'm a bit bored with no projects of my own to work on since it was a last munute/in the area stop.

I've taken mc and the dog racing (dog racing) - dog is flat out on the sofa beside me - I think she expends more energy getting worked up whist waiting than she does in the actual races! She did much better this time - came second twice - and the dog that beat her was quite a bit bigger than her (its all very informal so some of the races are rather lopsided).

MC seems to have a gang of girls to hang out with now....

Evening all! Is anyone around that would like a Saturday ?

Well done to MistleDog! Sounds like she did well and had fun. Hope that MistleFamily are all coping ok and that MC isn't breaking too many hearts

at Mr Scout and SB at Geek Club! As Small Bean gets older I find that he seeks out male company more and more. We have seen some distant family recently and it's been amazing how quickly he has become 'best friends' with older cousins etc.

I do hope that this beautiful weather is going to last. We got back home today and are thoroughly enjoying being out in the fresh air and enjoying the sun. Small Bean has a bit of colour and looks good for it. The garden is finally looking better and we have loads of fruit and veg coming though.

Bit of an odd few weeks. Big 'boast' coming up but we took Small Bean to his first funeral if that can possibly be described as a 'first'. He behaved impeccably, I was ready to take him out if necessary but he was brilliant. He was adamant that he wanted to be there and with a lot of reservations we went along with it and he didn't let us down. Sad time for everyone though and, as I said, a difficult few weeks.

Sorry you've had a bad time Bean - hope that things can move forward...

I'm trying to deal with the weeding in the veg garden so that I can plant some beans

Warning: MAJOR rant alert. It includes swearing (which is a sign it's bad because I don't swear -- just one of those things, I don't do it unless I'm hacked off).

FUCKING DOG OWNERS! (Present company excluded.)

SmallBoy, in last two weeks or so, has been showing a real interest in dogs and hasn't been afraid of them the way he has been (after being surrounded by a pack when he was a young ToddlerScout he was quite afraid). He's even wanted to pet dogs, so as we encounter them we stop, talk to the owner, ask if we can pet their dog and go from there. It's been a real breakthrough. On Monday he spent half-an-hour playing fetch with my friend's dog and thought it was the greatest game ever.

SB & I went out for an explore of the "wildlife area" across from us after lunch today. It's not used much, I know, and I tend to only see teenagers and dog owners taking their dogs up there though the area is for everyone and there are a lot of paths, interesting plants & trees, bugs and small wildlife to study/investigate (I can see one of the entrances to it from my front windows). A perfect place for a 3.7 year old boy to play in. We were minding our business and from the opposite direction came bounding up a big German Shepherd. Now, SmallBoy is about 40-41 inches tall and this German Shepherd was easily as tall as SB, if not bigger. G.S. did not stop when called but came running at SB. SB, understandingly, came running for me. I grabbed him to my legs, put both arms across him and kept saying "It's okay, stand still and close your eyes. Stand still, I'm holding you." This fucking dog would NOT go back to it's owner when called, kept licking SB his hair is covered in fucking dog spit and jumping up on SB and on me. I got scratched not badly and I didn't realize until a few minutes later but where I got scratched was at SmallBoy's eye level. It could have been SmallBoy's eye! Fucking bastard dog! I kept trying to keep myself between SB and the dog and was trying to turn SB so his face was in my leg but, in his panic, he was trying to keep an eye on the dog to get away. The owner had to physically pull this dog off of us and when trying to get the lead back on the dog broke free at least once and kept straining against the owner and then the chain, trying to get to SB.

The owner apologized and said "he's a big softy. Overexcited. I didn't expect you to be here." I should have retorted to keep his fucking dog under control, that wildlife area is for everyone we encountered a middle-aged couple walking earlier in our explore but was in shock and just said "We're out having an explore."

SmallBoy said "There's our house and the path out. Let's get out of here and get safe. I want to be safe."

I'm FUCKING LIVID!

All of our hard work with dogs just destroyed. And now SB probably won't want to go into the wonderful wildlife area to play/explore because he'll be afraid of fucking uncontrollable dogs, too.

I'm so pissed off I could cry.

I should add that coming out of the wildlife area SB didn't cry but kept wiping his head with that look of "ew, yuck!" and saying "Let's go and be safe." He's happily reading his new magazines (he got one from the shop this morning and his Lego Club one came in the post today so is very happy to have two new magazines).

Poor Small Scout! I'm glad you were there otherwise he would have got knocked over by the sound of it.

I must admit that I have a dog. She is still quite new, and I'm working VERY hard on her recall - its got to the stage where she might approach to some extent but then come back if I yell loudly enough - thankfully, when we're out, she is much more interested in other dogs than children, and she only says hello to children if she's on the lead and well restrained, just in case!

If ever you're in the neighbourhood, we could go for a Scout-friendly walk where the dog would largely ignore SScout - which seems to be the best way forward for all involved! She doesn't ignore MC and considered belting after him as he raced off on his bike at the weekend, but decided to stay closer to us just in case.

I know you're a dog owner, MT, that's why the "present company excluded" disclaimer.

I think it was you, two years ago, that told me about keeping SmallBoy to my legs, face inward, arms around him.

The last few weeks SmallBoy has really come on in terms of dogs. And most of the people we've encountered have been very understanding of his hesitation and our teaching -- they praise him for waiting, for asking, keep a hold of their very calm/sitting dogs while SB talks to the dog or strokes it or both.

I think it was the inability to recall the dog and to pull it off as it was clearly bigger than SmallBoy and was jumping over both of us that pissed me off. The G.S. almost took me down -- there's no way SmallBoy would have stood a chance.

SmallBoy told MrScout the dog kept "thumping" his head and made his head all wet.

Mistlehound would like to lick him - but it would be on hands if they were available (and I wouldn't allow it unless you and he were clearly comfortable with her and the potential for licking - she's a VERY licky dog - very friendly and its her way of showing it, but she's not really in your face about it. I saw the requirements for PAT dogs fairly recently and was going through the list ticking the boxes - then it said 'no licking' and I gave up as its just part of her nature!

I feel somewhat embarrassed because, after mistledog, mistlehound is clearly not as well behaved, has a worse recall (and, to be honest, is really rather stupid) - but I'm working on it and she's a lot better than she was when we got her!

I'm glad my advice on how to deal with an over enthusiastic dog came in helpful - but sorry you had to use it.

My friend who has the dog that SB played fetch with on Monday is bringing him to an activity we're doing today. I told her about the G.S. incident and we both agreed that M (the dog) should come along so SB can hopefully have a good play with a well-known-to-him dog (SB used to be afraid of M, too, until recently).

Bean, how are things? How's Small Bean?

MT, what's a PAT dog?

PAT website

I hope that today is a much better day with dogs. See if you can get your friend to get her dog to ignore SS to start with and let him reintroduce himself at his own pace rather than force the issue.

I think mistledog would be good in many ways - because she sees people as a positive experience so wants to greet everyone - its just the licking thing that would stop her ticking all of the boxes! (I can completely understand why its not suitable in, say, a hospital - but would have thought in quite a few scenarios ti would be OK). I think there is also a scheme for dogs to go into schools to be read a story (by unconfident readers) - she would be good at that one too as she often comes in for MC's bedtime story and goes to sleep on the floor...

My friend is good -- always asks SB if she can let him out of the car/into the house/into the garden. If SB is unsure she doesn't and the dog ignores. We're hoping he'll say hello while M is in the car and go from there. We're going to another friend's who has lots of land, so lots of run/play space and space to be separate.

SmallBoy has been invited to his first "proper" pre-schooler party -- one aimed at pre-schoolers with a theme and activities and food in party boxes. He's so excited he spent half the weekend asking if it was time to go to the party (it's not for another month!). His friend handed the invites out herself to each child and so he asked "What is this?" I couldn't not tell him.... hence the regular asking if it was time for the party. Hehehe. Now to get him to help choose a present but something a little girl might like, not him who's into trains (she is not).

After last week's German Shepherd incident we went up onto the wildlife area today to explore (first chance we've had since the dog encounter). SB was quite happy but did make a passing comment about "watch out for the dogs!" Instead of focusing on far-off dog barking we could hear I distracted him with studying bees and snails. He's also been happy to see friend's dog (Thursday and yesterday) so fingers crossed....

I always find presents for girls easier than boys - particularly at MC's age, Although I normally revert to lego as a fairly safe option...

Birthday Friend is going to be four and off to big school in September (most of his other friends don't start school until 2014). Mom of SB's BFF (little girl three weeks younger than him) was telling me that her daughter is suddenly into "pink sparkly sh1t" even though not encouraged so now I'm thinking I need to stay away from that in case. Gah! Minefield. I'll probably just ask at swimming what Birthday Friend likes/what would Mom like her to have. Just seems safer that way!

Lego is a fairly safe bet, or playmobil figures/ bits. Or a bit more adventurous and non gendered, a torch, kite or frisbee.

Hi all tea roomers. Shall I put the kettle on? What you drinking tonight?

I could do with some coffee :) - thanks!

Hello all... I've lurked a bit, not really had time to post, lots going on but mostly good. Well, ok, it's been a bit stressful, but should be good from now on... we're moving our office space next Thursday, so once that's over and everything's been put where it should be, I might have more free time :)
I wish we could move the office the way we move the Tea Room... with a wave of the magic wand :o
I'd even move in an aspidistra :o